Comedy Cellar
Comedy Cellar is a comedy club it is widely considered to be the best comedy club.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1982
- HeadquartersBrooklyn, United States
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Comedy Cellar does
Comedy Cellar is a privately held live comedy entertainment operator founded in 1981 in New York City. The company runs three Greenwich Village venues — the flagship Comedy Cellar at 117 MacDougal Street, Village Underground, and Fat Black Pussycat (Bar and Lounge) at 130 W 3rd Street — and has replicated its format at the Rio Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas. It also operates Olive Tree Cafe, a Mediterranean restaurant adjacent to the flagship venue where comedians regularly dine between sets.
The core product is nightly ticketed stand-up comedy; each show features five TV headliners performing 20-minute sets, with shows priced $10–$25 in New York and $25–$45 in Las Vegas (subject to CCSTRIP promotional code and a 20-ticket order limit). A two-item food and beverage minimum per attendee is enforced at every show, making F&B a structural revenue layer on top of tickets. Distribution is direct-to-consumer: the company's own website for New York reservations, Ticketmaster exclusively for Las Vegas, and OpenTable for Olive Tree Cafe. No proprietary technology platform exists; the stack consists of standard website reservations, third-party ticketing, and reCAPTCHA for spam protection.
The business model combines ticket sales, F&B minimums, restaurant cover counts, branded merchandise (comedycellar.merchtable.com), Comedy Cellar Classes (a separate comedy education site), and content extensions including the "Live from the Table" podcast and the "Comedy Cellar Unseen" archive distributed via YouTube, TikTok, and Instagram. The customer base is the general adult public aged 21+, split between New York locals, NYC tourists, and Las Vegas visitors, with group bookings as a secondary segment. Marketing is anchored by earned media from celebrity associations and TV/film features (HBO's Crashing, The Comedian, Comedian documentary) and the company's #1 ratings on Google Reviews and TripAdvisor.
Comedy Cellar firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Comedy Cellar
- Legal name
- Comedy Cellar
- Website
- https://comedycellar.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1982
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Comedy Cellar is a comedy club it is widely considered to be the best comedy club.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Comedy Cellar industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Live Comedy Entertainment
- NAICS
- Amusement, Gambling, and Recreation Industries (713), Drinking Places (Alcoholic Beverages) (722410), Theater Companies and Dinner Theaters (711110)
- SIC
- Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900), Retail-Eating & Drinking Places (5810)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Comedy Club & Showcase Nights (MPAGACAE)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Stand-Up Comedy Shows (MPAGACAA), Comedy Shows & Spoken-Word Events (THAJAFAC)
Keywords
Where Comedy Cellar is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Brooklyn
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices2 records
Markets served
Comedy Cellar business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain
Revenue model
- Ticket Sales: Per-show ticket revenue for live comedy performances at New York and Las Vegas venues. Standard show prices range from $10-$25 in New York and $25-$45 in Las Vegas. Special events and holiday shows command premium pricing.
- Food and Beverage Minimums: Two-item minimum per person (food or drink) generates additional revenue per customer at all shows. Comedy Cellar venue requires minimum purchase with each ticket.
- Olive Tree Cafe Restaurant: Mediterranean restaurant at 117 MacDougal St serving comedians and customers. Open 11am-12pm daily. Dine-in and takeaway service generates food and beverage revenue separate from show tickets.
- Merchandise Sales: Online merchandise store selling Comedy Cellar branded merchandise through merchtable.com.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | New York Friday & Saturday Shows - $25.00 per show |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | New York Monday to Wednesday Shows - $15.00 per show (Standard) |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | New York Thursday Shows - Venue-specific pricing |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | New York Sunday Shows - $18.00 per show |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Las Vegas Shows - $45.00 (Promoted to $25.00 with CCSTRIP code) |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels7 records
Comedy Cellar product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Comedy Cellar operates a portfolio of comedy clubs and associated hospitality venues in New York City and Las Vegas, selling tickets to live stand-up comedy performances. Ancillary offerings include a restaurant (Olive Tree Cafe), a comedy podcast, comedy classes, and branded merchandise, all supporting the core live comedy entertainment business.
Product overview
Comedy Cellar operates a multi-venue comedy club ecosystem centered around its flagship New York club at 117 MacDougal Street, with additional New York venues (Village Underground, Fat Black Pussycat) and a Las Vegas expansion at the Rio Hotel. The core offering features nightly comedy shows with 5 TV headliners performing 20-minute sets per show. Supporting the live entertainment are the Olive Tree Cafe restaurant (adjacent Mediterranean dining), Comedy Cellar Classes (comedian education), and an e-commerce merchandise store. Content is extended through 'The Comedy Cellar Live from the Table' podcast and the 'Comedy Cellar Unseen' archive distributed across social media platforms.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Olive Tree Cafe: Mediterranean restaurant adjacent to the Comedy Cellar main venue where comedians often dine before shows
- Village Underground
- Fat Black Pussycat
- The Comedy Cellar Unseen
Products and services
- Live Comedy Shows Ticketed live stand-up comedy performances staged nightly at Comedy Cellar and its associated venues (Village Underground, Fat Black Pussycat, and the Las Vegas location at the Rio Hotel & Casino), serving adult consumers seeking live entertainment. Tickets are subject to a two-drink minimum food/beverage purchase per customer.
- Las Vegas Comedy Venue at Rio Hotel & Casino A Comedy Cellar-branded comedy club location operating inside the Rio Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas, offering live stand-up performances to Las Vegas tourists and visitors. Tickets are sold via Ticketmaster.
- Comedy Cellar Podcast A long-running comedy podcast hosted by Noam Dworman, Dan Naturman, and Periel Aschenbrand, distributed via digital audio platforms and featuring stand-up performances and conversations with comedians associated with the club.
- Olive Tree Cafe Restaurant An on-site restaurant operating alongside the Comedy Cellar venues, offering Mediterranean-style food and beverages to comedy patrons and walk-in diners. Reservations are accepted via OpenTable.
- Comedy Classes Stand-up comedy classes/workshops offered by Comedy Cellar for aspiring comedians and enthusiasts seeking to develop performance skills, leveraging the club's reputation and comedian network.
- Comedy Cellar Merchandise Branded merchandise (apparel and related goods) sold to fans of Comedy Cellar and its comedians, available through the club's website.
Quantifiable outcome
- Sell out 30 shows a week
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use Comedy Cellar
Customer profileSegments3 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Comedy Cellar technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration3 records
Comedy Cellar partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Rio Hotel & Casino (Caesars Entertainment)coreBuilt an exact replica of the New York Comedy Cellar at the Rio Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas. The venue books the same talent as NYC. Owned and operated by the same owners as the original (no corporate or franchised owners). Shows run Monday through Sunday at 7pm and 9:30pm.
- TicketmastercoreExclusive ticket distribution partner for Comedy Cellar Las Vegas shows. Tickets sold through Ticketmaster platform with promo code CCSTRIP for discounts. Group sales referred to Rio box office for parties of 20+.
- OpenTableminorRestaurant reservation platform for Olive Tree Cafe. Customers can reserve tables through OpenTable for dine-in service.
Scale indicators5 records
Recent moves7 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Comedy Cellar competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Laugh Factory: Iconic multi-city comedy club chain operating venues in LA (Hollywood), Long Beach, NYC (Times Square), and Las Vegas. Same core business model—ticketed live stand-up with headlining comedians—and directly competes for both audience and A-list talent with Comedy Cellar.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Comedy Cellar social profiles
Digital presenceComedy Cellar financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Comedy Cellar leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles3 records
Comedy Cellar subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries3 records
Comedy Cellar funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Comedy Cellar M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Comedy Cellar
What does Comedy Cellar do?
Comedy Cellar operates a portfolio of comedy clubs and associated hospitality venues in New York City and Las Vegas, selling tickets to live stand-up comedy performances. Ancillary offerings include a restaurant (Olive Tree Cafe), a comedy podcast, comedy classes, and branded merchandise, all supporting the core live comedy entertainment business.
Is Comedy Cellar a public or private company?
Comedy Cellar is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Comedy Cellar founded?
Comedy Cellar was founded in 1982. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Comedy Cellar based?
Comedy Cellar is headquartered in Brooklyn, United States, in the North America region.
How does Comedy Cellar make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Ticket Sales are the primary driver. The others are food and Beverage Minimums, olive Tree Cafe Restaurant and merchandise Sales.
Who are Comedy Cellar's main competitors?
Laugh Factory is listed as a direct peer.
Does Comedy Cellar have an API?
No public API is recorded for Comedy Cellar.
What industry is Comedy Cellar in?
Comedy Cellar's product category is Live Comedy Entertainment. Its primary akta.pro industry code is MPAGACAE, Comedy Club & Showcase Nights, with a secondary code of MPAGACAA, Stand-Up Comedy Shows. Its NAICS code is 713 and its SIC code is 7900.